Indigenous People Want to Have a Say in What’s Happening to Their Lands
Tobelo, North Maluku. In an open-air pavilion overlooking the pristine waters off the coast of northern Halmahera, about 150 indigenous people gathered for a forum on their rights over land and natural resources over the weekend.
One by one they picked up the microphone, describing their communities’ experiences fighting outside interests for control of their ancestral heritage.
A man from Manado, North Sulawesi, lamented the destruction of temples in his community ostensibly protected by the state. A Papuan with a feathered headband called for a new, autonomous presidential unit to oversee local, government-initiated councils for indigenous people.
A woman from Halmahera, where extractive mining is abundant, talked about mobilizing her people against the forces encroaching on their forests, and how hard it was to convince them at first.
Categories: Asia, Indonesia, Uncategorized